Thursday, February 13, 2014

Social media marketing can be a difficult thing for small businesses in Rhode Island and Massachusetts. Everyone is talking about it, but it can be hard to see through the hype and understand which options really are right for your small business. After careful thought, these are what we here at Terrapin see as the top choices for small businesses in the area to consider.

LinkedIn

Many consider LinkedIn to be Facebook for business people, and it's a good analogy. You can expect to find business people here networking, trading ideas and learning about all facets of business. We use LinkedIn here at Terrapin for a few different reasons...

1. Research new potentials, vendors and employees

LinkedIn provides insight into the skills, work experience and specialties of new people who may interface with your business. Prepare for the initial contact with common interests by looking these people up in advance.

2. Gain prominence as an expert in your industry

LinkedIn allows you to write recommendations and endorse connections for certain skills. Input from other professionals like this can add a lot of credibility to your name and open up new opportunities from people researching you or your company.

3. Learn new skills and follow trends

LinkedIn Groups allow you to meet other business professionals who share your interests, passions and goals. Bounce ideas off of these people to get a new perspective on a challenge or opportunity, and arm yourself with more business building skills.

Google+

Google's social network doesn't get the same respect as Facebook or Twitter, but it's not something your should ignore for a couple of reasons...

1. Rise up in the Google search rankings

Evidence suggests that posts on Google+ get priority treatment in Google search. With so many companies competing for search engine visibility, it makes sense to take advantage of everything that you can to raise your natural rankings and be seen.

2. Uncover new ways to market your business

We've found Google+ to be a great source of information on the latest trends in marketing, namely content marketing, social media and, surprise!, search engine optimization. It seems as though the thought leaders in marketing have all adopted Google+ and are happy to share ideas with other users there.

3. A playground for Google lovers

A fringe benefit for Google diehards is that Google+ is chock full of news surrounding all of the Google products and technology. First look at the latest Android powered phones and tablets? Check. New developments in Google Glass? Check. Great new apps in the Google Play store? It’s all here for Google lovers.

YouTube

If videos aren't a part of your marketing strategy, you might consider making them one in the near future. YouTube is the second largest search engine in the world, allowing millions of users to bring information to life in video format. We’d suggest these topics for compelling videos:

Product demonstrations and reviews

Guided tours of your facility

Introductions to key team members at your company

Video testimonials from satisfied customers

It's also important to note that YouTube is incredibly popular with the younger generation of internet users. In a recent poll, 68% of users aged 14-34 reported that they frequently visit YouTube for its video content. So if you’re trying to reach these younger users, or think this market will become an important base for your clientele in the near future, you need to consider YouTube today.

In Conclusion

We know that these 3 choices may not be the most popular selections for small businesses in RI and MA. You may already be in engaged in Facebook, Twitter or Pinterest, which is OK. Obviously tour business needs to evaluate each of the options based on your particular industry or niche and an understanding of where your customers can currently be found.

But with some focused effort, we feel these 3 social media tools will allow your company to participate in the social media revolution in a way that creates real growth in your organization in the form of networking, education, sales and marketing. Not sure where to start? Contact Terrapin Art & Design to learn more about our Social Media Mentoring and Consulting services. This could be just what your business needs to jumpstart a successful social media marketing campaign.